FIFA World Cup Trophy to be showcased in Seoul this week

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- The championship trophy for the FIFA World Cup will be on display in Seoul this week as part of its global tour leading up to this year's competition, the event's organizers said Monday.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, run by Coca-Cola, will make its stop in the South Korean capital for two days starting Wednesday at The Hyundai Seoul, a popular shopping mall in Yeouido, western Seoul. South Korea is the first Asian destination on the journey.

The trophy will first be unveiled to the media on Wednesday. Paulo Bento, head coach of the South Korean men's national team, will attend the ceremony, joined by a pair of the country's football legends, Cha Bum-kun and Park Ji-sung. An honorary ambassador for FIFA will also make an appearance.

The trophy will then be open to the public at The Hyundai Seoul on Thursday, allowing football fans a closer look at the biggest prize in the sport.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour was launched in 2006 and this will be the first stop in South Korea since 2014. This year's tour began in Dubai in May and for the first time, the trophy will visit all 32 nations that qualified for the tournament. The tour will cover 51 countries in total.

The quadrennial tournament kicks off on Nov. 20 in Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host football's grandest event.

The trophy is awarded to the champions of the World Cup but remains in FIFA's possession, per FIFA regulations. The team winning the tournament retains the authentic trophy temporarily and is later awarded the tournament edition trophy, called the Winner's Trophy, for permanent possession.

The authentic trophy is made of solid gold, depicting two human figures holding the globe aloft. The tournament edition is gold-plated, and the year of the given tournament, along with the names of the host country and the champion, will be engraved on it.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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